West Central Michigan News

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) has announced plans to accelerate its role in the global energy transition and advance innovations in battery technology. This announcement was made through a press release.

According to AP News on May 20, CATL's shares surged over 16% on their debut at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, closing at HK$306.20 per share. The company raised approximately $4.6 billion through the sale of over 135 million shares at HK$263 each, marking the largest global Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the year. This strong market performance underscores investor confidence in CATL's role in the electric vehicle battery sector.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) reports that CATL seeks to expand its footprint in the U.S. through a licensing partnership with Ford to build a Michigan battery plant. Bipartisan concerns have intensified over the national security implications of Chinese involvement in critical supply chains. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and other congressional panels have launched inquiries into whether such partnerships circumvent U.S. restrictions and enable sensitive technological dependencies. Arrangements like Ford’s deal with CATL could undermine domestic energy resilience and violate the spirit of recent procurement and trade legislation.

According to Ways and Means, under current rules, Ford could potentially use the CATL partnership to claim electric vehicle tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, despite the Chinese firm’s involvement. Although CATL would not own the battery plant, its control over technology and processes effectively constitutes indirect influence. This has led to proposals to tighten eligibility criteria for clean energy tax benefits.

Robin Zeng is a Chinese entrepreneur and founder of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electric vehicle batteries. Holding a Ph.D. in physics from the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zeng began his career in battery technology by founding Amperex Technology Limited, which later evolved into CATL in 2011. As of 2025, his net worth is estimated at over $33 billion, making him one of Asia’s wealthiest and most influential figures in the clean energy sector, according to Good Returns.